70% of hunter-gatherer societies feature women actively hunting

Scientists have stated that women participate in hunting in at least 70% of foraging societies that still exist today, challenging the assumption that hunting is exclusively a male activity and foraging is exclusively female. The researchers analyzed a century’s worth of data from 63 hunter-gatherer societies worldwide, including the Hazda people in Tanzania and the Innuit in the Arctic. Their findings reveal that women have actively hunted in almost four out of five foraging societies. In 70% of cases, hunting was intentional and focused on larger game, rather than opportunistic killing. The researchers argue that these findings contradict the traditional view of men as hunters and women as gatherers, and call for a reevaluation of previous studies influenced by this stereotype.

The researchers argue that the long-held idea of men as hunters and women as gatherers is a misconception. They are urging previous studies influenced by this stereotype to be re-evaluated. According to the researchers, women in foraging societies have historically and currently engaged in hunting activities, regardless of their role in childbearing. They believe that recognizing the contributions of women to hunting requires a new framework that challenges traditional notions and evaluates past and future discoveries in the context of female hunters. The hunter-gatherer lifestyle, which relies on hunting, fishing, and foraging, was practiced by all humans until around 12,000 years ago before the development of agriculture. However, the population of hunter-gatherer societies has dramatically declined in the past 500 years.